Russian forces have begun reinforcing air defenses in the south, relocating Tor systems from occupied Mariupol toward Russia’s Rostov region, according to Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of the Occupation of Ukraine.
He said it was the first time the movement of an entire column of launchers — not just individual vehicles — had been observed.
“A whole column of Tor air-defense systems drove into the city and headed to cover. For the first time, we’re seeing not single vehicles but a whole crowd, and in daylight, too. They’re trying to shield what’s left of the refinery along the route of our drones,” Andriushchenko said.
He added that these systems were observed operating overnight on September 18 in the Mariupol area as Ukrainian drones headed toward Rostov. According to the official, Russian forces are increasingly concerned about drone strikes on oil infrastructure.
Andriushchenko also posted video showing vehicles resembling Tor systems and called it rare footage: “Russians are patching up their air defenses to cover what remains of the refinery along the path of our drones. Mariupol.”
In effect, Russian forces are trying to cover vulnerable points, but the redeployment of Tors from occupied territory underscores the scale of the challenges they face. The move suggests Russia is short on air-defense systems and is being forced to prioritize across multiple fronts, while also reflecting concern about further strikes on refineries after previous attacks proved effective.
